Machinists, where do you order stock from?

[Scotts Elle]

I recently got a HAAS VF2 for a "i hate you, die now" deal. I am wondering where one would buy/order blocks of steel, Aluminum, Stainless, etc... What are stock sizes, etc... The guy I got the mill from says there are mail order places but he wasn't very helpful.

Please help.

Thanks

 

[A_Pmech]

Find your local metals supplier.

The mail order places have a HUGE markup and then they add shipping on top of that.

 

[Scotts Elle]

The only thing that comes up for "local metal suppliers" is tube steel, sheet steel, etc. I am looking for billet blocks, round bar sections, etc... The machine shops I used to help out at always had their raw metal delivered via UPS or FedEx. I can't believe how hard it is to find this stuff.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

I get mine off the scrap rack at work haha. Look up a place called metal super market and see if there is one near you. Other than that google steel suppliers or call machine shops and ask where they buy. As for sizes quite often we get saw cut blocks from our suppliers so they dont come in "stock sizes".

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2

 

[KMScott]

I recently got a HAAS VF2 for a "i hate you, die now" deal. I am wondering where one would buy/order blocks of steel, Aluminum, Stainless, etc... What are stock sizes, etc... The guy I got the mill from says there are mail order places but he wasn't very helpful.

Please help.

Thanks

Scott
I buy my Tool Steel from Speedy Metals http://www.speedymetals.com/ they ship to my mountain home here in Colorado, and my Aluminum from Alreco Aluminum Surplus (303) 287-7210 located close to Denver, Bob will ship to you to, and he knows aluminum. There is plenty of online steel stores that can help you, if you live close to a large city then be sure to look in your yellow pages. Google will be your best friend in looking for stock materials. What are you going to make? Where do you live?

Kevin

 

[Scotts Elle]

I live in Conroe, TX (just north of Houston). I make sheaves and spoolers for control line installation for oil and gas wells and power line installations. Nothing really complicated but I do so much of it that I am starting to tackle it myself. Machine shop prices have been creeping up recently. I think its because they are so busy with bigger orders, and mine are a pain in the ****.

Here is a sheave:

I don't have rendering completed of the spooler but there is basic machined parts in there as well.

Thanks for the links. I will call them this week. I use 6061, 316SS, 718 Inconel (for the corrosive environments) and regular A36 steel for shafts, collars, etc...

 

[A_Pmech]

Just north of Houston?

There should be at least a dozen suppliers within a couple hours of you. My local tool steel supplier has 3,000,000 lbs of tool steel on the floor on any given day and they're a 10-man operation.

What kind of hourly rate are the machine shops down there charging?

 

[JoeFin]

I would go with a local supplier willing to give you "Right Hand Column" prices on the metal

"SpeedyMetals" or "OnLineMetals" are WAY Overpriced and will dash any hopes you ever had of being competitively priced of any local job shops. I do however believe "OnLineMetals" does include a certificate of Alloy analyst which may be useful on occasion - but by no means offsets the need to consistently be paying premium plus.

Also the scrap bin at some metal suppliers is going to be useful as I found a good source for "Sub-Plates" in a bin of rejected 14"x20"x2" cuts of 6061 Al. At $3 a pound they ran $22 each but when performing 2nd ops or a combination of 1st and 2nd Ops they are invaluable.

You can see the subplate on the left hand side of the table here.

I think I was checking my backlash in that photo and uploaded to 1 of the groups I belong to checking to see if I was doing it right.

In a combination 1st and 2nd Op program the vise would be where the indicator is now for the 1st Op. The program would immediately go to the 2nd Op using a "Fixture Offset" cutting down on my "Reload" time

But if I have a run of 10 or more of any given item, I am going to want to use a size of metal stock that produces the least amount of waste. That's is where a good metal supplier is going to save you money in the long run.

Or just try and get "SpeedyMetals" to deliver you a 4'x8'x3" sheet of AR plate

 

[Scotts Elle]

I never get hourly rates quote. The 3 shops I use quote the drawing for an out the door price. A 60" x 2" A36 shaft with a keyways milled into and a couple inset groves for retaining rings cost me anywhere from $1100 to $1700 depending on the shop and how busy they are.

 

[dr_clyde]

Just a quick google search yeilded about a dozen metal suppliers in the Houston area. Give them a call. At least they can direct you to a proper supplier of whatever you're looking for if they can't supply it.

 

[JoeFin]

I never get hourly rates quote..

Granted - but their piece price is based off of metal supplies where they have negotiated a good "Right Hand Column" price.

Just give them a call - don't deal with the counter - find the guy setting the prices for the counter and tell him you are a "manufacturer"

Remember to write the guy's name down and deal with him each and every time. Set up a spread sheet and track all of your metal supply cost as 1 shop might charge outrageous fees for cuts, and another supplier for delivery. Or my personal favorite some will try to sneak in a lefthand column price every 4th item on the invoice.

 

[yaidunno]

Speedy Metals is local to me, so thats who i go through. Their web prices are about 25-35% more then what they charge if you call your order in. Why, i have no clue. Free next day delivery to their Appleton location for pickup, and no charge for cuts.

 

[Mickey_D]

I bought about 15 tons of aluminum and stainless this year and Trident has the best prices that I have found. Call the Houston branch at 713-462-2410 and find out who your area rep is and have them come by. Build a relationship with them and you will get good prices.

 

[Provincial]

I would think that the OP would qualify as an "original equipment manufacturer." If so, he would qualify for reduced pricing from places like bearing manufacturers, and should also get very favorable pricing on raw materials.

Here is a link to an explanation of OEM: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/oem.asp

 

[zkling]

Guy buys $50K + machining center, doesn't know where to get raw stock.

As suggested start calling around locally to metal suppliers, everything you list is standard stuff for most places possibly barring the 718. If you are just outside of Houston and with their aero presence I doubt you will have a tough time finding that. You may want to sit down first and make a list of shapes sizes and volumes you want to stock. Volume is going to be your key when dealing with local suppliers and price.

Is this machine at your home or a business address? Depending on location may determine drop off vs need to pick materials up.

The scrap or cutoff bin can yield good discounts on materials, but you have to consider if the material is known and what if any issues your customer may have with that.

Congrats on the machine, sounds like you have a very successful small business that is growing.